adopting a new hobby

snsc808 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 09:26 AM

Aquaria is more than a hobby to me its a lifestyle and partial career from planted tanks

to monster fish

breeding ponds of koi and goldfish

and much more
but i am intrested in herps ive raised some terrapins and fly river turtles and sliders and i have a leopard tortoise but i want to get into snakes and lizards such as bearded dragons pythons tegus corn snakes and i was wondering if anyone had some tips to start i promise to share all the FW, BW, and SW fish knowledge i have...i also would like to know where some good places to purchase good herps would be i dont have any good petshops in my area

mpgt · #2 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 01:48 PM

Awesome pics...love the shovelnose!!!!!

fishmommy · #3 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 02:00 PM

welcome aboard!
GREAT pics!

I too am a crossover...planted tanks and monster sized cichlids have been my obsession for well over a decade. I got my first herp in February and am loving it! I found that good aquarium husbandry habits translate very well into good herp keeping habits.

where are you located?

Also, what type of herp would you like to purchase first? recommendations on where/how are very different for different types of animals.

Stargazer · #4 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 02:33 PM

Beautiful fish/aquarium. I haven't much advice for you. I have boas and love them dearly. I think corns or ball pythons make good first snakes.

brownsfan222 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 02:10 AM

Awesome pictures, I love that tiger shovel nose but they get too big for any of my tanks. I almost LEFT the hobby for fish. Glad I didn't but I still have my tanks. No monster cichlids just some medium sized ones that are easy to find.

snsc808 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 09:14 AM

that tsn grows way to fast that is a 180 gallon perfecto tank he is currently 34 inches i used to breed cichlids but i got out because i like asian and amazon fish i wish we could get asian arrows in the us

spike06 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 11:50 AM

the pic of the big fish is awesome. im jealous. ive wanted 1 red bellied pacu for a while now but still dont have a large enough tank. and you have 2!

amercnwmn · #8 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 12:23 PM

NIIICE.. you should also check out Aquatic-Terrors.com sometime, We have quite a few RTB members that pop in.

Corn snakes make EXCELLENT first snakes, but go for what you WANT and what you can afford, and what your experience level will fit.
If you have quite a bit of free time to work with a lizard, space for adequate caging, and money isn't a big issue, lizards are excellent pets.

I find lizards can be a bit more pricey in the nutrition, initial set up, and lighting departments than your average Corn snake. Not everyone is meant to keep lizards, they have different needs than snakes.

If you don't have experience you need to keep a certain animal, go out and get it. Ask questions, read, most people are really helpful.
Find a local herp society in your area, and meet the members. Many are willing to help you learn everything you want about local reptiles and amphibians, as well as exotics.

snsc808 · #9 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spike06

the pic of the big fish is awesome. im jealous. ive wanted 1 red bellied pacu for a while now but still dont have a large enough tank. and you have 2!

i got those pacus for free from an inexperienced person who turned it in to our local pet store who didnt have a big enough tank they were in a 50 gallon 2 days before that picture they were getting harrassed by a silver aro they are much better now i wish i could have raised them from babies i thank you for thinking about the future and being responsible enough to know that you dont have a tank big enough i hate when people overstress fish by stuffing them in tanks to small or underfiltrating

snsc808 · #10 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 12:42 PM

time money and space arent the problem i just dont have any pet stores within a 100 miles that have reptile supplies to raise larger reptiles mostly just things for jackson chameleons and leos and turtles :S I really dont feel like i have any experience i've bred motoro rays and that was some work but i dont know anything about reptiles i read a lot of stuff online and my friend works at the local zoo so i have access to food such as mice crickets etc. but i wouldnt want to torture an animal due to inexperience so thanks for the advice i think im going to try bearded dragons and a cornsnake...one more question though should i start with babies or should i start with an established adult?

Quote:

Originally Posted by VoodooChile

Corn snakes make EXCELLENT first snakes, but go for what you WANT and what you can afford, and what your experience level will fit.
If you have quite a bit of free time to work with a lizard, space for adequate caging, and money isn't a big issue, lizards are excellent pets.

I find lizards can be a bit more pricey in the nutrition, initial set up, and lighting departments than your average Corn snake. Not everyone is meant to keep lizards, they have different needs than snakes.

If you don't have experience you need to keep a certain animal, go out and get it. Ask questions, read, most people are really helpful.
Find a local herp society in your area, and meet the members. Many are willing to help you learn everything you want about local reptiles and amphibians, as well as exotics.

snsc808 · #11 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 12:44 PM

more of my fish

amercnwmn · #12 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 01:37 PM

I'd go with a captive bred sub adult. Not a neonate, but not an older animal either, you will have many years with your snake or your lizard.

As far as ordering, you can order animals and supplies online, as well...and many people prefer to, as prices on supplies tend to be cheaper online than at your normal pet stores.
Once you decide what kind of animal you want, the selections are pretty endless as far as breeders.

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amercnwmn · #13 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 01:38 PM

How big is that tiretrack? Impressive!

snsc808 · #14 (**permalink**) 08-15-2007, 05:58 AM

THANKS 14 inches :P and supplies i prefer drsfostersmith.com because thats where i deal with for fish but i was wondering where would be a good place to order live animals

brownsfan222 · #15 (**permalink**) 08-15-2007, 06:08 AM

To order live animals it all depends on what you are buying. Good places for corn snakes would be serpenco or corn utopia. those fish are all very nice, have fun setting up a bigger tank lol you will surely need one.

spike06 · #16 (**permalink**) 08-16-2007, 09:09 PM

Quote:

i got those pacus for free from an inexperienced person who turned it in to our local pet store who didnt have a big enough tank they were in a 50 gallon 2 days before that picture they were getting harrassed by a silver aro they are much better now i wish i could have raised them from babies i thank you for thinking about the future and being responsible enough to know that you dont have a tank big enough i hate when people overstress fish by stuffing them in tanks to small or underfiltrating

with me, filtratioin isnt the problem. in my 55 i have an emperor 400 biowheel and a penguin 350 biowheel. i know that pacus can reach up to 2 ft, so im waiting till i get my own place, then im gonnna get a custom made tank, 8x3x3

snsc808 · #17 (**permalink**) 08-17-2007, 03:01 AM

8x3x3 holy crap 538+gallons thats gonna be some thick glass or acrylic or whatever you use i would actually trade a foot in height for a foot in width :P thats just me though

spike06 · #18 (**permalink**) 08-17-2007, 11:56 AM

yeah, i know thats gonna be thick glass and probably a few thousand dollars just to build, then the thousands of dollars needed for filters, then a few hundred dollars for plant and driftwood, and a couple hundred dollars for the sand, and the thousands of dollars on fish. wow, i hope im making good money when im ready to get this

Ekke · #19 (**permalink**) 08-17-2007, 12:07 PM

I had fish for years use to breed Bettas. This how I got in to snakes. Every year hubby would buy me fish for me birth day to a point where he said he's "gatvol" local word for fedup just stronger of fish and said "maybe we should get a beardie?" Famous last words the next day fish were out (given to a friend) and 2 days later the snakes were in. Desidited to go with snakes as they don't need to fed so often as we go away for a week some times to my hubbies farm. And the rest they say is history.

snsc808 · #20 (**permalink**) 08-17-2007, 11:26 PM

ha i could never get rid of all my fish thats complete insanity and yah spike your glass alone is probably gonna run you atleast 2500 and building it shouldnt be that bad maybe 200 bucks at the most if you diy and the sand for my 120 ran me about 300 you gotta be a ballah for that tank i dont think i would ever go that bigg all glass i would make 4 sides concrete like my 3000 but concrete is sketchy inside oh and you forgot about water changes and adding water for evaporation and electricity :P aaaaahhhhh we gotta be nuts to be into this stuff :P

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